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Our team of podiatric specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your feet. Our doctors are one of the best and most well trained groups in the United States. They are nationally and internationally known lecturers and published authors in the field of podiatric medicine. Please utilize our podiatric articles to learn more about podiatric problems and the many treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, please feel free to contact us.
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Reconstructive foot surgery helps restore your foot’s natural functionality that has been lost due to injury or illness. Even common foot ailments such as bunions or hammertoes are reasons to have foot surgery. Keep in mind that foot surgery like this is not done for cosmetic purposes. So if you have narrow feet and find that your sandals keep slipping off, reconstructive surgery on your feet won’t be able to help. If, however, you have pain while walking, have difficulty wearing shoes, or have problems standing or moving your foot, it’s possible that reconstructive surgery can help alleviate these problems.
When Is It A Good Idea To Have Reconstructive Foot Surgery?
The ideal candidates for reconstruction of the foot include accident victims and athletes, whose foot bones, heels and ankles are often shattered because of forceful impacts. Because the foot is made up of many small connective bones and tissues, specialized plates can be inserted into the shattered foot bones to help them fuse back together and heal properly. Reconstructive surgery can also help issues including plantar fasciitis, heel and bone spurs, and joint or bone deformities due to arthritis.
Other types of foot surgery can help correct birth defects or foot-related issues that develop as we age, such as hammertoes, claw toes and mallet toes which are a deformation of toe joints that cause them to be bent or misaligned. These types of problems can occur at any age but are most commonly thought to be the result of poor-fitting shoes. Traditionally, this type of reconstructive foot surgery needed long, painful, bent wires to edge the toe back into its proper shape and alignment. Today, however, new advances in surgical technology make it easier and safer for people undergoing foot surgery to resume their normal activities much sooner, and with far less pain than before.
Undergoing Surgery For Reconstruction Of The Foot
Many people often think of reconstructive surgery as helping heal broken bones and restoring the foot’s normal function, however, our feet are very complex. There are intricate webs of tendons, ligaments and tissues all interconnected to the bones and muscles that make up the foot, and great care needs to be taken at all times to avoid additional injury and stress to these areas.
Before undergoing this type of surgery, you’ll be thoroughly examined by a podiatrist who may take x-rays of the affected area, as well as do blood tests, urinalysis and EKGs to determine how well or how poorly your foot area circulation is. Once the reconstructive foot surgery is complete, you’ll need to take the proper precautions to help speed healing, such as plenty of rest and ice to help minimize swelling. Your doctor may also require you to wear specific orthopedic or surgical shoes, use crutches and or use a cast or bandages to help your foot heal properly. In the end, you should follow your podiatrist’s orders for keeping weight off the affected foot until it has sufficiently healed and mobility has been restored. |
What to Know Before You Have An Ankle Arthroscopy Done
An ankle arthroscopy (pronounced arth-ROS-co-PEE) is a procedure done by your doctor to see if your ankle or the supporting ligaments or tendons are injured or infected. A small incision is made and a surgical instrument called an arthroscope is inserted into the afflicted area. An arthroscope is a small tube that contains lights and lenses and allows the doctor to see whether the area is inflamed, swollen or what’s causing the pain.
Before Your Arthroscopy And Surgery
Having ankle and foot surgery carries some inherent risks that you should be aware of. Your doctor will likely be working with bone cartilage, ligaments and tendons around your ankle which may cause bruising, swelling or pain for a few days after the arthroscopy. Common risks associated with arthroscopy are the same as many types of surgery: infection, bleeding or injury to nearby tendons or ligaments is possible. Because of the ankle’s proximity to the leg vein, a blot clot could occur.
As with most surgeries, you’ll be instructed not to eat or drink for a set period of time before the actual surgery date. Your specialist will be able to give you the exact information. When you arrive to have your ankle arthroscopy done, your doctor may take your vital signs, such as measuring your heart rate, blood pressure and listening to your breathing.
What To Expect During The Arthroscopy
During the procedure, the hair on your ankle will be shaved and the area will be scrubbed with soap and water to minimize infection risk. You may be hooked up to an IV to provide fluids while the surgery is taking place. It’s possible that you will be put under anesthesia during the procedure, so you won’t feel any pain or movements under the skin while the arthroscope is being used. The localized area may also be numbed.
It’s important to minimize blood flow from your leg to your ankle, so your doctor will wrap an elastic bandage around the leg and foot. It’s possible a cuff could be put around your leg to help slow the natural flow of blood into the ankle. A small incision will be made near the area and the arthroscope will be gently inserted into the ankle area. Sometimes, a second incision is needed to help the doctor get a clearer view of the problem.
The entire process generally takes only 30-45 minutes and the incision will be stitched up before you are awakened from the anesthesia. You will likely still be drowsy and should avoid driving after the surgery. Stay off your feet for a few days and keep your legs elevated on pillows to help minimize the swelling. Adding ice to the affected area for approximately two hours at a time can help with the pain as well. You’ll be walking with crutches for a few days to keep weight off of your ankle and allow it to heal properly, but most people who undergo an ankle athroscopy are able to return to their normal routine within a week or so.
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As seen on CBS News, Ankle and Foot Centers of Georgia has an innovative laser that treats the fungus that lives in and under the toenail. The laser light passes through the toenail without causing damage to the nail or the surrounding skin. At the time of the procedure, the toenail will not become instantly clear, it takes time to grow out.
• QUICK AND SAFE
• PROVEN CLINICAL RESULTS
• NO DRUGS OR SIDE EFFECTS
• NO HARMFUL UV RADIATION
• PAINLESS WITHOUT ANESTHESIA
WHAT TO EXPECT:
A consultation with your doctor, the procedure to be performed and follow up visits by your doctor.
THE PROCEDURE
Most people feel no pain. Some people feel a warming sensation and very few feel a pin prick. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes.
RECOVERY
There is no recovery period, you walk in and walk out.
PAYMENT
Credits cards, cash, money orders are all accepted. DOES THE FUNGUS COME BACK?
It takes one treatment to treat the fungus, and typically the doctor recommends care techniques to reduce recurrence of the infection. There is a chance of re-infection because fungus is present everywhere in the environment.
PEDICURES AND POLISH
You can apply polish immediately after the treatment. It is important to remove all nail polish and nail decorations the day before your treatment.
INSURANCE
This procedure is considered aesthetic and therefore health insurance plans DO NOT provide coverage.
WHO DEVELOPED THE LASER PROCEDURE?
Leading scientist and medical professionals working together for 20 years with funding provided by the National Institutes of Health developed the technol ogy. |
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A bunion is a deformity of the foot that causes a bump, usually at the first joint on the big toe. The “bump” is not the bunion, contrary to popular belief; rather, the bunion is the underlying condition that causes the bump to appear. |
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A hammertoe, or claw-toe, is a deformity of your toes, which could affect one, or even several of your smaller toes. Healthy toes are generally straight, but an individual suffering from hammertoes experiences a bending, or curling, of their toes, oftentimes causing the affected toes to look like a claw hammer -- thus the name hammertoes. |
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Plantar Fasciitis, also commonly referred to as heel pain, is the swelling of tissue (the plantar fascia) that connects your heel bone to your toes. An important distinction to make here, though, is that while heel pain may result from the inflammation of this tissue, plantar fasciitis is not heel pain in and of itself -- it is merely one of the primary causes of it. |
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